THE pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, the building of the railroads, and the Panama Canal...

And just how is it that the bumble bee continues to fly when, aerodynamically at least, it should never get off the ground?

All these seemingly impossible feats and it is to this list that Villa and Martin O'Neill now enter.

Villa stretched their unbeaten run into October and remain one of two unbeaten clubs in the entire Premiership along with that other traditionally faltering giant, Everton.

They've already been to Arsenal and now Chelsea where the likes of Portsmouth and Charlton have dampened spirits in recent years.

Last season their unbeaten start was one match, the season before two and it was an opening-day defeat in 2003/04 and likewise under Graham Taylor in August 2002.

Not since John Gregory's final season at Villa in 2001/02 have Villa enjoyed such riches.

Back then it was eight games unbeaten before they were finally humbled at Everton in late October, but that's where the only similarity between the two campaigns ends.

Gregory's side had already been beaten twice in the InterToto Cup and had also been battered by Croatian no-hopers at the first hurdle of the UEFA Cup by the time Peter Schmeichel's injury-time consolation came too late at Goodison to stop a 3-2 defeat.

No, O'Neill's side - despite what the extremely likeable Irishman may protest to the contrary - carry much more backbone, much more potency and flair and consequently much more expectancy than Gregory's perhaps ever did.

Most honeymoons last a fortnight, and behavioural experts suggest that lust disappears after four years.

But the "love-in" between O'Neill and Villa appears to have the hallmarks of a Liz Taylor-Richard Burton Hollywood blockbuster.

Graham Poll was in charge in Villa's best performance under O'Neill leading up to this fixture - their battling 1-1 draw at Arsenal on the opening day.

Here he was again, but unlike that day at the Emirates, he did very little to endear himself to O'Neill, who was given a stern lecture after losing his cool when foul after foul went against his team.

Fortune has played a part for Villa there's no doubt.

Just like they did in their almighty heydays of 1980/81 season, Villa are using just a handful of players above their starting 11.

Chelsea was the third game running they were unchanged and still only 14 players have started a match this season. Fourteen players. Where have we heard that statistic before?

Unfortunately, that will now have to change because the downside, and it will surely be a massive one, is the loss of Luke Moore for what could be the entire season due to his shoulder 'popping' out of its socket once again and refusing to go back in.

It is an old injury that first surfaced while he was on loan at Wycombe Wanderers three years ago.

Twice it popped out against Reading this season but soon slotted back into place. Now an operation beckons.

Villa were staring at a landslide defeat when poor goalkeeping from Thomas Sorensen - but don't worry he more than made up later on - took his eye off Arjen Robben's diagonal free-kick under John Terry's strong arm.

The ball landed at the feet of Didier Drogba, who poked home with Olof Mellberg, Aaron Hughes and Liam Ridgewell desperate to get a block on the floor.

Frank Lampard and Michael Essien drew a couple of saves apiece from Sorensen while at the other end Stiliyan Petrov forced Petr Cech into a rare save with a well-struck shot.

As the half drew to a close, Juan Pablo Angel ballooned a half-chance over the bar and then, incredibly, Villa were level.

Steven Davis' inch-perfect free-kick was superbly headed across the six-yard box by Ridgewell and Gabby Agbonlahor headed into the net.

Substitute Milan Baros should have made it 2-1 in the seconds before half-time but fired meekly at goal after trying to place his shot when clean through inside the box.

Villa had two chances in a one-sided second half but, in the opening minutes, Agbonlahor saw his shot deflected wide after darting inside Claude Makelele.

Then Angel fired into the side-netting with almost the last kick of normal time when he should have won all three points.

In between, Villa had to withstand some frightful punishment.

Sorensen tipped over Robben's fierce cross-shot, held Ricardo Carvalho's header under the crossbar and saved brilliantly from Essien, diving to his right after good work by Andrei Shevchenko.

Shaun Wright-Phillips had been on the pitch less than two minutes when he thundered a shot against the underside of the crossbar.

Salomon Kalou saw his shot saved at the near post by Sorensen. The ball broke to Wright-Phillips but he woefully missed an open goal from the rebound before Lamp-ard's header flew inches wide.

Finally it was Shevchenko's turn to be denied by a brilliant one-handed save by Sorensen but Villa deserved to stand firm.